Another Side, Another Story
by Kaeden Hallia
Summary: There are two sides to every story. What happens when Axel tries to prevent Sora and Roxas from joining? AkuRoku Rated M for later chapters.
1. Twilight Town

**Author's Note: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters, themes, etc. Rated M for future chapters and situations, to be safe. **

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**Chapter 1 – Twilight Town**

"Another dream about him.." the blonde sat up in his bed and stretched his arms above his head. Morning was a quiet reprieve from the dreams that have been riddling him lately. He'd had dreams about this boy for as long as he could remember. The odd boy and his adventures, the boy who he swore he knew but couldn't for the life of him remember his name.

He rose from his bed grogily and shuffled across the cold wooden flooring toward the window. The sun made a brilliant glow across the sky as it slowly peaked above the horizon. He pushed the window open and let the cool summer air into his small bedroom. It felt nice, as it brushed through his spiky blonde hair. He slowly drifted back into thought, about the boy with brown spiky hair and eyes just as blue as his.

"Roxas!" a familiar voice shouted from the floor below. "I'll be right down," he shouted in response, pulling his light-colored pants to his narrow waist. He pulled a white jacket over his black shirt and ran down the stairs quickly, sliding into the kitchen and taking his seat. His mother turned around and smiled sweetly, placing a plate of eggs and bacon before him. He stared intently at the steaming food, but for some reason he wasn't hungry.

Images flashed through his mind as he gently cradled his forehead in his hand, massaging his temple with his thumb. "Have another bad dream, Rox?" He winced as he closed his eyes and forced them back open, turning slightly to face his mother again. "Yeah, it's really weird. I feel like I know him." His mom laughed softly, pouring a glass of orange juice and setting it in-front of him. "You feel like you know the boy that runs around with a giant key followed by a duck and a dog that wear clothes?" His mother's taunting tone really got to him this morning. With a clang, he pushed his plate back and shoved his chair to one side, grabbing his backpack and exiting silently.

He walked down the street, still angry at his mother for having made fun of him. It's not like he was making up these crazy dreams. And now that he thought about it, were they really all that crazy? Roxas was fifteen years old, his imagination firing a mile a minute. Could a boy holding a key like a sword being followed around by a duck and a dog that can talk really be that hard to understand? "I must be out of my mind," he thought to himself, turning the corner to meet up with his friends.

"Yo, Rox!" Hayner called across the street, waving his arms above his head. He faked a smile as he looked both ways, and crossed the usually busy street. It was a little odd to not have any traffic at this time of day, but not too out of the ordinary. He pounded Hayner's awaiting fist before nodding at Pence, and waving at Olette as they started down the street. Roxas had hoped that the summer assignment had slipped their minds, and that he could put it off for a while longer. It felt like he hadn't had a chance to enjoy his summer vacation at all. They hadn't even had a chance to head to the beach yet. Lost in his thoughts and the lack of sleep from the dreams he had been having these last few nights, the teenage blonde hadn't even noticed the other boy walking with them.

"Oh yeah, Rox, this is the new kid in town." Olette smiled as they all came to a stop in-front of the ice cream shop. How the exceedingly tall man in the black jacket walking along side them had escaped Roxas' attention this whole time was beside him. He was very tall and slender, standing close to 6' 5" by his approximation. He had long, spiky red hair. He flashed his perfect, white smile before extending his hand toward the blonde. "I'm Axel."

Something seemed very familiar about him, too. He felt like he was floating, sort of like he does when he's dreaming about the boy with the key, but this was different. He knew he was awake, and he knew this was all real. His heart was racing as the boy's velvet voice seemed to melt him faster than the sea-salt ice cream glistening under the summer sun. He gathered his thoughts, stammering to find the correct words. "I, erm. Hi. So, Um.." He cleared his throat nervously, his eyes seeming to move everywhere but to meet his eager gaze. Finally, his crystal blue eyes met with Axel's emerald eyes. Roxas' throat seemed dryer than a crocodile in a desert. "Roxas.." He choked out finally, immediately forcing the ice cream into his mouth.

The red head smiled and took the blonde's hand and shook it obnoxiously, laughing to himself. "Nice to _meet_ you, Roxie." The blonde looked up in surprise. He absolutely hated when people called him that name for some reason, and he always made a point to harshly reprimand anyone who used it. But for some reason, Axel calling him that seemed right. It felt right. So, much to the astonishment of his friends, who all stood with their mouths agape, Roxas smiled and removed the ice cream slowly, seductively. Axel licked his lips and let out a soft grunt before realizing that everyone was staring at them. He laughed nervously before snatching the ice cream from Roxas' mouth and shoving it into his own.

Roxas stomped forward in protest, a stern look on his face. Hayner mocked a vomiting noise, "Dude he just had that in his mouth!" Hayner was in almost every way reinforcing the "hillbilly" country boy stereotype. On top of being loud, dirty, smelly and not very bright.. he was also close-minded about things that he didn't consider to be "normal". Axel scoffed as he swirled the salty-sweet frozen treat around the inside of his mouth, his eyes locked onto the sapphire pools of the younger blonde. "Yeah, and what about germs?" Pence was genuinely concerned about the hygiene of the shared popsicle.

"_Not like we haven't shared more than this before." _Axel just smiled before removing it from his mouth, intentionally making a loud pop as it left his puckered lips. Roxas felt his face redden slightly, his heart racing again. Why did this boy.. this _man_ have such a strong effect on him? The red head laughed before handing the ice cream back to Roxas, a cocky grin pasted on his face. "Thank you, that was delicious."

Olette interrupted, a slight crack in her voice. "So, guys.. we should probably start on that homework," She smiled cheerily, making eye contact with Axel, "Independent study, isn't it the worst?" Axel chuckled to himself. School, he very briefly recalled the institution. Kids sitting behind desks wasting their days listening to a teacher preach what they believed would be what would help them most in life, forcing them to learn all about it. He cringed at the thought, and it showed through the sour look on his face.

"Well, um. I can help you guys out, I'm a couple of years ahead. What's your project on?" Axel grinned to himself as Olette gushed on about the paper they were going to write, about the seven wonders of Twilight town. His lie seemed believable, they had accepted him into their group. His gaze shifted to Roxas again, a soft smile on his face. He had already lost Roxas once, he wasn't going to let him out of his sight again if he could help it.

"Are you sure you're not going to get bored, Axel?" Hayner's arms were folded, a slight look of discomfort on his face. Axel laughed out loud before turning to Hayner, quickly closing the distance between them. He leaned down and whispered behind the dirty-blonde hair into the teen's ear, "Trust me, I'll be fine." Hayner scoffed and shifted his weight away, not wanting to stand near the red head anymore.

They continued walking, Roxas just a few feet in front of the Axel. Pence and Olette exchanged small-talk with Axel, Hayner walking in silence and Roxas eagerly listening to his responses. Axel enjoyed spending time with Roxas' friends, equating the time they spent together to the time he had spent with his other friends. The friends he so eagerly wanted to forget. His thoughts were interrupted by the young girl and his blonde friend's voices arguing. "Olette, that's stupid, don't bring that up!"

"Have you ever heard of something that looks like a key but you hold it like a sword?" Axel swallowed suddenly, a loud gulp echoing from his throat. "Um, no.. that is kind of weird," he lied. In all truth he knew exactly what he was talking about, and he knew what it meant, too. That his memories, that _Sora's_ memories were slowly returning. "Yeah, I know, right?" Pence added, laughing. Olette put her arm around Roxas' shoulder, pulling him close. "And he keeps dreaming about a boy who the key belongs to, and he's friends with a dog and a duck that can talk!" She couldn't restrain her laughter any longer and huddled over, giggling uncontrollably.

"I really want to meet him, that boy from my dreams." Roxas added, gently shoving Olette from his body. "He seems so familiar, they all do. I feel like we're friends, and I want to know more. Where is he from, who are his friends, where were they going and why. I.. I need to know." Roxas looked kind of serious, a slight wrinkle across his fair forehead.

Axel's thoughts immediately shifted, his face reddening as the situation was being explained. He was having dreams about Sora and his companions, and the keyblade. He had to get Roxas out soon, and he knew it wouldn't be easy. "Hey Roxie, can I talk to you about something. It's so bizarre, but I had the same dream, too. I feel weird talking about it, is there some place we can talk alone?"

It was when he looked up that he noticed the strange creatures, clad in white snaking around behind some nearby trash cans. "Oh Shit," he thought to himself. They had tracked him down sooner than he had thought. His voice seemed rushed all of a sudden, almost as if he was out of breath. "Please, Rox?" Roxas smiled and nodded, taking a few steps to stand beside the very tall red head. "Yeah, sure. You guys mind if I catch up with you later?"

Hayner frowned, folding his arms again, "Yeah, no problem, _Roxie._" That harsh, mocking tone pissed the blonde off to the core. Olette interrupted, her cheerful voice calming him. "Yeah Rox, no problem. Just meet us at the Usual Spot whenever you guys finish up." "Later," Pence added, the group of teens walking further down the road. Axel kept his eye on them until they turned a corner, their distant chatter fading to nothing.He smiled then, and leaned down to the blonde's level. "So, what do you want to do now?"

The blonde blushed again, shifting his weight from one hip to the other. "Well, you wanted to talk to me about my dream. What did you want to know?" The worry swept across Axel's face again as the odd creature crept behind a nearby box, the box tipping and freezing in place, just before hitting the ground. Everything around seemed frozen, suspended in time. "What the hell?" The blonde spouted, confused as he looked around. Axel grabbed him by the hand and led him around a corner. "Where are we going?" The blonde asked, a nervous tone to his usually stoic voice. The red head smiled, interlocking his fingers with the younger blonde's. "I'm taking you somewhere safe."_  
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Reviews are welcome and appreciated. I'm going to try to update this as regularly as possible, so stay tuned =)


	2. The Old Mansion

**Author's Note: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters, themes, etc. Rated M for future chapters and situations, to be safe. **

**This chapter has a little bit more contact than the last, I'm easing into it =)**

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**Chapter 2 – The Old Mansion**

"Axel, what's going on?" The red head could detect the fear in the younger boy's voice as they ran down the street. He wasn't sure whether it was a good idea to tell him quite yet. His number one priority was keeping Roxas safe, from everything. "I'll.. explain.. when we.. get there.." He said between his labored breaths, as they turned a corner and came to a hole in the town wall. "You can't be serious.. That broken-down old mansion? Ax.." Roxas objected. He hated that place, since.. well, as long as he can remember.

They stopped for a brief moment, Axel spinning his younger companion around to face him, his hands firmly gripping his shoulders. "Do you trust me, Rox?" He blinked at the question presented to him. He barely knew this guy, yet.. he felt like he'd known him for a long time. Something inside him told him that everything was okay, that he was going to take care of him. With a half-smile, and a look of uncertainty, Roxas finally choked out an answer. "Yeah, Ax.. I trust you."

"Good, let's hurry," he whispered, pulling the blonde through the hole in the brick wall and into a dense forest. The white creatures were slinking around everywhere, as if looking for something.. or someone. And it was almost all of a sudden that their attention was captured. "Shit.." Axel muttered under his breath, extending his arms to both sides, standing in front of his younger companion. "Rox, head to the mansion! I'll meet you over there."

Roxas stood dumb founded, starring at the strange creatures. They let out sharp breaths, as if talking to one another. He couldn't help but feel their eyes on him, eying him like he was a trophy. "Rox! Go!" Axel didn't want to reveal everything just yet, he wanted a chance to explain everything to him when he was ready, but clearly that wouldn't be the case. At very least, he didn't want Roxas to see him fight the Dusks, and throw out any trust and rapport he had built with the innocent teen.

Roxas nodded and ran through the trees, vaguely remembering his way to that dusty old mansion. He was worried about Axel, but figured that the older boy could handle himself. There was a lot he wanted to ask him, about where he came from, why he had come to their town.. Especially now, seeming to know what those odd creatures were added to the mystery the red headed boy hid beneath that black cloak. And why was he wearing a long black coat in the middle of summer? He must have been hot in that thing.

He shook his head to push the thoughts that were sure to follow. "_What indeed?" _he contemplated, before reaching the old locked gate. He turned around to see that the odd creatures had indeed followed him. He could hear the sounds of a struggle coming from the forest. "Ax.." he muttered to himself, searching the area for something.. anything to help fight off the creatures. "A stick.. _perfect_," he thought to himself, picking it up and holding it in front of him. He didn't really have any battle training, just what he knew from the Struggle bouts that he and Hayner had participated in.

"We have come for you, my liege," the odd creature said, what he believed to be the mouth seemed to unzip. The stick began to shake violently, as if being drawn by the world around him in every different direction. An odd light surrounded the stick, swirling in every different direction. The creatures seemed effected, slinking back at the sight. The light subsided and he found himself holding that strange key. It was the key from his dream, that the other boy was holding. "What..?" He held the key like the boy did in his dreams, like a sword. He made his most menacing face, growling beneath his breath. "Stay back!"

More of the odd creatures moved in from the forest, walking slowly and calmly toward the young blonde. What did they want? Roxas wondered to himself, taking a few steps back until he was up against the cold metal gate. He felt dizzy, fuzzy as he touched it, almost like the dream was coming back again. "Oh no," he thought to himself silently, cringing at the pain. Then he saw it, a vision of the boy again. He held the key out and a beam of light shot out from the end, entering the lock. "It's worth a shot," the boy muttered, stepping back and aiming his key at the lock.

That familiar beam of light exited the key and entered the lock, just like in his vision. It flashed brightly before vanishing, the gates creaking open slowly. Roxas ran toward the old looking house, hoping that it would hold more safety for him. The key vanished in the same light that it had appeared in, leaving his hand feeling slightly empty. He shrugged, heading in through the old creaky door. He was hesitant to enter, looking around for some sign of life. It was apparent by the state the mansion was kept that it had been quite a long time since anyone had called it home, but he still felt as if there was someone there for him to meet, someone important. He made his way to the staircase before he felt something wrap around his waist.

"You okay, Roxie?" He was turned around by the firm grip fast enough to give him a head rush, his heart beginning to race again when the voice he had heard matched the face he saw. "Axel.." he let out a small sigh when he saw him, relieved that he was okay. There was an odd moment of silence, as they both stood awkwardly, the red head's arms still around the waist of the smaller boy. "I'm.. glad you're.." He was cut off by his lips being softly brushed up against. His eyes closed and he felt as if he was being washed away, like he was laying on a floating mattress on a strong current.

The red head's hand made it's way up the younger teen's back, massaging it gently. The blonde subconsciously wrapped both arms around Axel's neck, the kiss becoming more passionate. The red head then lifted Roxas gently, hoisting him to a more comfortable height. Roxas wrapped his legs around Axel's waist instinctively, easily being supported by the older boy's strong grip. He felt right, like this was something he had done before. And that he really did trust Axel, the boy he had just met earlier that day that had convinced him to run away with him was now a boy he was making out with in an old mansion.

Roxas broke the kiss, gently pulling away with his teeth gently clamped on Axel's lower lip. He opened his eyes and they met with Axel's, a smile sweeping across the older boy's face that made Roxas blush. "I.. uh.." Roxas was confused, if only a little. He had no prior feelings for anyone, let alone a boy. He had never been kissed, never even thought about it. "This.. Wow. I'm," the older boy cut him off mid-sentence, lightly massaging his lips again. He pulled away slightly, his voice a low whisper now, "Don't you dare say you're sorry for something you're not sorry for."

His cheeks reddened and the heat felt like it was radiating from his skin. What would his friends say? Hayner probably would kill him if he found out that he had kissed another boy. He briefly remembered his friends, running around the town. What if those odd creatures were chasing them, too? What if they were hurt? The look of worry swept across his face as Axel set him down gently, his hand still casually wrapped around his hip. "They'll be okay, Rox. We need to get you out of here."

He grunted in protest, pulling away from the older boy's grip and walking toward the staircase. _"Oh Shit, if he finds the girl.."_ Axel ran behind him, trying to keep up with the slightly faster teen. "Rox, this place has been empty for ages, what do you expect to.." Roxas had reached the top of the stairs and placed his hand on a nearby doorknob. "I need to find out more about that key, and the boy from my dream." He pushed the door open and Axel swore under his breath, following him into the blindingly white room.

The room wasn't really all that bright, it just seemed to hurt their eyes in comparison to the dimly lit mansion hall they had just come from. Axel looked around nervously, before locking eyes with the young blonde girl sitting at the table. Roxas hadn't noticed her, fascinated by the drawings on the wall. Drawings of the boy and his companions, the red headed girl, and..

"Roxas?" ..The girls sweet voice rang in his ear as his gaze was frozen on one of the drawings.. "Naminé.." "_How did I know that name?"_ he questioned. "This..is me? And.. Axel's here, too.." His tone was unsure, his voice shaking. He ran his fingers across the drawing gently, cherishing the thought of he and Axel being together. "You _are_ best friends, after all," Naminé added, rising from hear seat at the end of the table and moving toward the other two youths. Axel breathed in nervously as she made her way over to his friend, hoping that she would not reveal the secrets that he had been hiding from him.

Roxas' attention shifted from the picture of he and Axel to the drawing of the boy from his dream, and his companions. She smiled sweetly, placing her slender hand on his shoulder. "You know those three, right?" His eyes seemed to be searching through his memories. "Sora.. Donald.. Goofy.." he found himself saying out loud. He had never heard those names before, he didn't remember ever learning their names. He had always referred to them as the boy with the key, the duck and the dog. Now he seemed so sure, seeing their drawing on the wall. "They're from those weird dreams.." Roxas looked lost in all of this new information, piecing it all together with the dreams he had been having. Somehow, this girl knew what he was going through. She knew the people from the dreams, too. She believed him, she had to. So maybe she knew where to find _Sora_. He had to get used to the thought of calling these characters by their names, and hopefully he'd get used to the thought of them being real people, his friends.

Axel snaked his hands around the youth's waist again, protectively. He gave Naminé a sharp glare, warning her not to go too far. She returned the glare, walking along the wall to the covered window. "You and Sora.. are connected.." Roxas seemed interested in what she had to say, eager to move forward but was quickly restrained by Axel's protective grip. He grunted before settling back against the older boy's body, grinding gently against his groin hoping to remind him that he was also paying attention to him. He was wondering why he felt the need to acknowledge Axel at all. Naminé seemed to be the one with all the answers..

"He needs you," she added, taking a step back toward her seat at the table, removing a small white tea cup and taking a sip. His vision fixed on a drawing of himself standing next to Sora. "Why..me?" Axel hooked his fingers in Roxas' belt loops, allowing him to walk forward to examine the drawing closer. It was inevitable now. Naminé was going to spill the beans about Roxas and Sora being the same person, and soon the man in red would come to take Roxas away.. No. No! He wasn't going to let that happen, he swore to himself that he wouldn't let Roxas disappear.

"You won't disappear.." Roxas snapped back to attention, taking notice of the man wearing a red cloak, a mask covering his face. He had a hold of Naminé's arm, he was pulling her back into a pool of darkness. "You'll be whole!" Axel decided that this was too much right now, too close for comfort. He grabbed Roxas by the hand and ran toward the exit. Another man in a black cloak appeared and attempted to grab onto the blonde youth's arm, pulling him away. Their grip tightened as his eyes pleaded with Axel's, desperate to escape. "I'll.. disappear?"

Axel's heart sank. He swore that would never happen, and he had never broken a promise to Roxas before. Not once. He pushed the door open and dragged Roxas into the hall, running as quickly as he could. "I'll never let that happen, Rox." The man in black was close behind them, closing the distance quickly. They made their way into a small room that resembled a library.

There was an odd set of stairs that Roxas felt drawn to. He glanced over his shoulder to see Axel shoving a rather large statue against the door, trying to barricade it and keep the man in black out long enough for him to formulate a plan. Roxas cautiously walked down the stairs. Something seemed to be calling him, a warm feeling inside of him. He was curious to find out the source of the pull that was drawing him like a moth to a flame.

Axel hadn't noticed the shorter youth wander down the stairs, as the door seemed to be crashing down under the weight of the would-be intruder. "Rox..can you give me a hand?" he asked, still not taking notice of his absent partner. Roxas was wandering through the cold, dark halls of the basement, looking for the source of the calling. He felt like he was floating, just like he was in the dreams. He crept through the doorway and saw some strange pods along the walls. They were fogged over, as if the inside was colder than the outside.

It was only after Axel had securely wedged one of the book cases against the door that he fully turned to notice that Roxas was gone. "Roxas!" He rarely referred to his younger lover by his first name, only when he was really upset, or really angry. "Roxas!?" he pleaded, running down the stairs. There was a sense of urgency to his step as he rushed down the hall. If Roxas found Sora, they would surely join together and he would lose him forever.

He stumbled through the doorway to find Roxas rubbing the fog from the window of one of the pods, examining the contents carefully. Axel wandered up behind him slowly, grasping the young youth around the waist as he usually did. Roxas gasped as he felt the heat from his lover's body in contrast to the cold machine in front of him. "It's.. Donald.. And goofy..?" Axel carefully read the young teen's expression through his reflection in the glass. Something was calling him, Sora's heart. His heart longed to be complete, and it was drawing his lover dangerously close.

"They're.. sleeping?" Axel played along, dumbly. Axel knew all too well what was going on with those pods. The man in red, DiZ, was using Naminé to put Sora's memories back together. That was the source of his dreams, why he so vividly was able to recall all of Sora's exploits with Donald and Goofy; how he was able to so clearly recall Kairi's face or Riku's tone of voice. It all seemed pretty amazing to the red head. Sora must have been a remarkably special creature to have created something so beautiful.

Roxas shifted his attention to the closed door at the end of the hall, taking note of the bright light emitting from the corners where the door and the wall met. He took a step forward without realizing Axel still had a tight grip around his waist. He hesitated, feeling the fear in his hold. "I.. have to know.." Axel clenched his teeth as he pulled the blonde youth back into his arms, tightening his grip in protest. "Rox... you trust me, right?"

Roxas spun around to meet eyes with the tall red head. He was torn, confused. He felt the answers to every question he had ever had lying beyond that door, but here stood his best friend with his hands wrapped tightly around him. "Of course I trust you, Axel," he said with some certainty this time, knowing that it was true. Axel nodded and closed the distance between their faces, their noses almost touching. "Don't go through that door, I beg you."

Roxas took a moment to think about what Axel had to loose by him opening the door and discovering the secrets on the other side. He doubted very much that it was something that Axel wanted to hide from him, but the sense of urgency in his voice made him believe that he _needed_ to keep it hidden. Roxas bit his lip, feeling Axel's hot breath on his face as the red head's hand gently grasped his chin, tilting it up so that their eyes met. "Promise me one thing, Ax."

Axel smiled, his eyes washed over with a look of relief. "Anything!" Roxas brought his face just millimeters from Axel's, and whispered gently just below the older boy's chin. "I want you to tell me everything." Axel grunted a low growl from his voice as he closed the short distance between them and kissed his young lover passionately. His hand gripped the young blonde's spiky hair as he slid his tongue into Roxas' mouth, gaining easy entry. His mind was racing and reeling from the thought of having to explain this to him.

The organization was probably hot on their tail, as would DiZ and the other man in black eagerly seeking to reclaim Roxas for their own purposes. Selfish, all of them. And after Sora and his friends woke up and learned of Roxas, they too would seek him out to learn more about him. But for some reason, none of that mattered then. He was right where he was meant to be, with who he was meant to be with, sharing a kiss that would prove to be the beginning of a crazy adventure. It was an adventure Axel wouldn't miss for anything in the world.

Axel felt Roxas' hand hook the top of his pants, wondering how he had unzipped his cloak and gotten that far without him noticing. There was no way he had remembered everything, that would take quite a bit of time still being apart from Sora. Had he really remembered that they were lovers? No, he thought to himself. Everything they had done so far seemed to be instinct, as if he knew it was right but he couldn't figure out why. Axel wasn't complaining, it had felt like forever since he had last been with his young lover. He broke the kiss as gently as it had begun, locking his eyes with those of his young lover.

"I promise."

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Sorry that the first few chapters start off slow, better to get through it early. More steamy encounters to come =)


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